Phantom of the Glen: Not Your Hero
by TheTamster
Summary: Raoul and Christine's son has been taken. There is only one man that can bring him back, the Phantom of the Opera. Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, Erik will have to fight his way to the castle to take back the child that has been stolen.
1. Chapter 1 - A Debt Must Be Paid

Disclaimer: The Phantom of the Opera, the Goblin King, and the Labyrinth do not belong to me (though I think if it were up to them, they wouldn't belong to anyone), only my own characters do.

This story is dedicated to the memory of David Bowie. The King is dead, long live the Goblin King!

* * *

 **PotG: Not Your Hero**

 **Chapter 1**

 **A Debt Must Be Paid**

How unusual, the groom thought as the winter white owl flew past the open door of the stable and toward the chateau. He shrugged his shoulders and went back to work currying the Comte's favorite stallion.

The silent bird banked around and landed on one of the snowy second floor balconies. It bobbed its head as it peered into the frosted window at the occupants inside.

"Now you be a good boy and take a nap for Mommy, Gustave," Christine smiled as she laid her sleepy first born down in his bed. "And afterward we'll see if Daddy is in the mood to play."

She kissed the child's curly head as he closed his blue eyes and drifted off to sleep. Smiling she quietly backed out of the nursery and closed the door.

"How is he m'lady?" the nurse asked.

"He's asleep finally, Claudette," Christine sighed.

"The poor lamb, this last week has been too much for him," she tutted.

"For all of us I'm afraid," the young mother said as they walked down the hall.

"Shall I call for tea?" Claudette asked.

"Please, I could really use a cup," Christine said. "I'll be in the conservatory."

"Of course, m'lady," she nodded and went off to the kitchen.

* * *

Raoul sat in his study going over the deeds to properties that were now his by right of inheritance. He still couldn't quite grasp it, his father had been the picture of health less than two weeks ago and now he had lain in the family crypt for the last five. Raoul was now the Comte DeChangy officially; the will had been read, the title, deeds and bank accounts now all belonged to him. He didn't quite know what to do now that all that power was his and would one day belong to his sleeping son upstairs in the nursery.

Gustave had turned two years old three days ago. He wished it could have been a more joyous occasion for the child, but the Comte's death had still been too fresh, the household was still in the official mourning period and so the birthday had been a somber occasion.

"Good evening Vicomte," a silky voice purred to Raoul's left.

"That's Comte and who let you in unannounced?" Raoul said not giving the stranger the satisfaction of looking up from his papers.

"You let me in," the voice replied.

"No, I did not," Raoul returned.

"Yes you did, 3 years less 3 moons ago," was the reply.

The nobleman sat there silently, going back in time. Suddenly his face paled and he stood so quickly that he knocked over the heavy desk chair. "You! Where are you? Show yourself!" Raoul demanded.

"Shh, you'll wake the baby," the Goblin King admonished stepping out of the shadows, cradling a sleeping Gustave in his arms.

Raoul stood there gaping like a codfish at the Alve who held his son.

"Come now, you do remember your debt to me," Jareth said, stroking the child's dark curls.

"Debt? I owe you nothing," Raoul hissed, finally finding his voice.

"Oh yes you do, you summoned me and that has a price," Jareth replied.

"You gave me no information, no help, I don't owe you a thing, least of all my child," Raoul argued.

"That is your fault, you said the words and had no child to give me," Jareth said. "But I was kind and told you that I would wait. I have waited and now the debt must be paid."

"Raoul, Raoul," Christine gasped rushing into the study. "Gustave is gone, I went to check on him and he's gone."

"Fear not my dear, your child is safe in my arms," Jareth purred.

Christine looked to the voice and paled. It was him, the taker of unwanted children. "No," she cried out. "You can't have him, I haven't said the words."

"No, he did," the Goblin King replied indicating her husband.

"Raoul? How could you? He's my son!" she cried turning on her husband and beating her fists on his chest.

"Christine, stop this," Raoul said catching her wrists. "He is not taking our child."

"Oh, I beg to differ on that," Jareth said rocking the still sleeping child.

"What did you do Raoul?" Christine demanded. "What did you do?"

"Go on, tell her," Jareth urged.

"I…I…I made a mistake," Raoul stuttered.

"You most certainly did," she snapped.

"I may have summoned the Goblin King by accident," he sheepishly said.

"By accident? You can't summon him by accident, you have to say specific words and have an unwanted child," she said.

"Oh he said the words and summoned me, but there was no child," Jareth agreed. "However a bargain was struck and I've come for payment of the debt."

"You are an idiot," Christine snarled and marched to the doors that lead outside. She threw the doors open and cried out to the darkening winter garden. "I need the help of the Guardian."

* * *

A rather annoyed frost fairy picked herself out the snow where she'd been unceremoniously hurled when the doors were flung open. However, upon hearing a summons for the Guardian, she flew off for the nearest fairy ring.

Upon entering the ring, she cast a spell and disappeared with a pop.

* * *

"I am so going to get you Erik," S'ray said ducking behind a corner of the barn.

"Not if I get you first," Erik grinned finishing his snowball.

"In your dreams," S'ray shouted and lobbed a snowball at his head.

"Missed," he called ducking the icy projectile.

"Distraction shot," she laughed and hit him square in the chest.

The Phantom spun to the side and lobbed his snowball at her head; however it seemed to explode in midair. "Hey, no cheating and using magic to deflect them," he frowned.

"Wasn't me," S'ray said.

"It was me!" chirped a now wet and angry frost fairy.

"Shouldn't you be painting windows little one?" S'ray asked.

"Guardian has been summoned," she chirped. "Must come, both of you."

"What's going on?" Erik asked walking up to them.

"Summoned, must come," the fairy urged.

"Alright, let us grab a few things first," S'ray said heading toward the house.

"Hurry, big trouble," the fairy cried.

"Two minutes to grab weapons, little one," Erik said as they now ran inside.

"Hurry, hurry," the fairy chirped impatiently.

"Alright, where's the trouble?" S'ray asked as the re-emerged, this time armed for a fight.

"Come, need to use ring," she chirped.

"Alright, we're coming," S'ray said as they followed the fairy.

"What's she talking about? What ring?" Erik asked.

"A fairy ring, you know, mushroom circles," she replied.

"And what does this have to do with summoning you or us?" he continued.

"It's a way of traveling great distances very quickly," S'ray said. "We're here."

"Get in, get in," the fairy twittered and started pushing at the Phantom.

"This can be very disconcerting the first couple of times you do this," S'ray said as she stepped into the ring.

"How bad can it be?" he asked following her.

The fairy followed, said the spell and the three of them disappeared.

* * *

At the edge of the forest by the DeChangy Chateau the trio suddenly reappeared again.

"I don't know what you were worried about, that wasn't so bad," Erik said taking one step and falling face-first into the snow.

"Watch the first step, it's a doozy," the fairy laughed.

"I did warn you," S'ray sighed kneeling down next to him and helping him to his knees.

"I don't know what happened, I just blacked out," he said shaking his head.

"Like I said, it can be disconcerting the first couple of times," she replied, helping him slowly stand now.

"Virgin," the fairy twittered and flew off.

"We'd better get going and follow her," S'ray sighed. "Are you alright?"

"I think so," he said and they started off.

"Any idea of where we are?" S'ray asked.

"Not a clue, but whoever owns this place is very wealthy," Erik said.

"Wait, that crest on the barn, it looks familiar," she said pointing.

"Too familiar," Erik groaned. "I know where we are."

"Well?"

"The DeChangy Chateau on the other side of Paris," he said.

"This way, this way," the fairy called. "Hurry, hurry."

* * *

"Thank heavens," Christine sighed opening the doors again. "Angel and Guardian, you're both here."

"You summoned them," Raoul said in disbelief. "I am a Comte; I could have handled this myself."

"Yes and you've done so well, so far," Christine snapped at her husband. "You've got to help; he wants to take my baby."

"Who wants to take your baby?" S'ray asked.

"Why hello cousin," Jareth smiled from where he stood still holding the child.

"What's going on?" Erik asked stepping into the room.

"And hello to you too, husband of my cousin and wolf killer," Jareth greeted.

"What are you doing here?" S'ray asked turning to the High Alve.

"I am merely collecting on a debt that was owed to me," he calmly said.

"Please don't let him take my baby," Christine begged going to her knees before S'ray and Erik.

"Darling, get up, you're embarrassing me," Raoul hissed taking her by the arm and pulling her back up.

"Is this true, did you make a bargain with the Goblin King?" Erik asked, looking Raoul right in the eyes.

"I…I…" he stammered.

"The truth, if you want our help," S'ray said, her warm violet eyes turning very cold.

"I did," he said, his bluster all gone.

"There he admits it, I shall take my leave of you all now," Jareth smiled.

"Your majesty, if you would indulge us in just a bit more of your precious time," S'ray said formally. "We were also summoned and would like to hear both sides to determine if there is a need for our help and if we can even provide any help."

"I have been absent long enough from my kingdom, but I can indulge a few more moments for my family," he smiled.

"When was this bargain struck?" S'ray asked.

"Three years less three moons," Jareth replied, rocking the child.

"You bastard, you were going to use him against us," Erik growled.

"Shh, you'll wake the baby," Jareth said glaring at the Phantom. "Anyway, I don't do the bidding of mere mortals unless they have an unwanted child."

"But they didn't have a child yet, she had perhaps just become pregnant," S'ray said.

"True, but he then promised me his first born to be collected at a later date," the Goblin King explained.

"And you called me a monster," Erik said glaring at the Comte.

"But doesn't he only get unwanted children?" Raoul objected. "We want our son."

"You struck a bargain, his highness is well within his right to claim the child," S'ray replied.

"Please, I don't want to give my baby up," Christine sobbed.

"I have money, lands…I'll pay you to leave us our child," Raoul said grasping at straws.

"I am a King, I have no need for your paltry wealth," Jareth sneered.

"Your majesty, I seem to recall that if one of them were to defeat your labyrinth that you would be bound to return the child to them," S'ray said looking emotionlessly at her cousin.

"True, but this is not a typical situation," he replied.

"I'll do it," Christine said going to her knees before the Goblin King. "Please your Highness, please give me a chance, I beg you."

"I'm sorry poppet, but you aren't allowed to challenge my labyrinth," he softly said.

"Please, please," Christine cried, her tears dripping onto his shining boots.

"Sorry, it is out of the question," Jareth said. "A pregnant woman is simply not allowed to attempt the challenge."

"You're pregnant," Raoul gasped completely surprised by this revelation.

"Then I'll do it," S'ray said in all seriousness.

"No," Erik said stepping up and putting his hands on her shoulders.

"For once we are in agreement," Jareth said. "Sorry cousin, but you are an Alve and not allowed to be a champion for the mother, it just wouldn't be fair."

"Angel please, that's my baby he's going to take and turn into a goblin," Christine sobbed going over to the Phantom now.

"Anyone else want to be the champion for this poor mother and willing to try winning her child back?" the King asked.

"I'll do it," Erik said, causing everyone to look at him. "I owe you this much Christine."

"Challenge and champion accepted," Jareth smiled.

"Erik, don't do this, you don't know what you're doing," S'ray said turning to her husband.

"Maybe I don't, but someone has to and Raoul is not nearly smart enough to outwit an Alve King," Erik said taking her hands and holding them to his heart.

"Be careful, the labyrinth changes to suit whomever is running it," she said looking into his amber eyes.

"So it will be darker and more dangerous for me," he nodded and looked directly at Jareth. "I can accept that."

"Shall we then?" the Goblin King asked.

"Wait a minute,"Raoul interrupted. "I'm not letting him go after my child, I'm coming along."

"Excellent," Jareth smiled. "A team effort then."

"Stay out of this Vicomte," Erik growled. "I don't need your kind of help."

"Too late, the mortal has also accepted the challenge," the Goblin King said. "Let us be off then."

Then with a flourish of his free hand, Jareth, baby Gustave, the Phantom of the Opera and Raoul DeChangy disappeared from the chateau's study.

"Oh my God, where have they gone?" Christine gasped, clinging to S'ray.

"To the Labyrinth in the Underground," the Alve coldly replied. "Now pray that the Phantom outwits the Goblin King and brings back your foolish husband and child."

* * *

Author's End Note: It seems that the Phantom has stepped into it, right up to his hips and maybe even higher. And Raoul still has that habit of opening his mouth before thinking things through.

Coming up in Chapter 2 – And So It Begins

Erik and Raoul enter the Labyrinth.


	2. Chapter 2 - And So It Begins

Disclaimer: The Phantom of the Opera, the Goblin King, and the Labyrinth do not belong to me (though I think if it were up to them, they wouldn't belong to anyone), only my own characters do.

Foxgoddess07: Yes, Raoul is an idiot and you can be sure that Madame Christine will have words for him should he return from the Labyrinth. And the story of the Wolf Killer is a tale for another time.

This story is dedicated to the memory of David Bowie. The King is dead, long live the Goblin King!

* * *

 **PotG: Not Your Hero**

 **Chapter 2**

 **And So It Begins**

Erik made sure to keep his eyes closed this time and concentrate on his breathing. He heard Raoul fall to the ground and start violently retching. The Phantom opened his eyes and immediately rolled them upon seeing his enemy spilling his stomach contents on the ground in front of the Goblin King.

"I see you've traveled like this before," Jareth observed as he transferred a now awake Gustave to his other arm.

"A couple times," Erik replied stepping away from the still heaving Comte. "So what will you do with the child, if by chance you win?"

"He will become a goblin of course," Jareth smiled down at the boy. "And spend the rest of his days in my kingdom. You said you owed the human this much. Whatever did you mean by that?"

"A personal debt and none of your business Goblin King," Erik replied assuming his Phantom persona in preparation for running the Labyrinth.

"So where is it?" Raoul asked wiping his mouth on his sleeve as he walked up to them.

"Its right there," Jareth said making a sweeping gesture with his free hand. The Phantom and Comte looked down the hill and saw the vast expanse of the Labyrinth. "You have 13 hours to solve my Labyrinth and get to the castle beyond the Goblin City or this child will become one of us forever."

"It doesn't seem so far," Raoul said trying to sound braver than he felt at the moment.

"It's farther than you think and time is on my side," Jareth smiled and disappeared with Gustave in his arms.

"Well, let's get going then," Raoul said and started off.

"Stop right there," Erik growled and stalked up to the human.

"We should go, we've only got so long to do this," Raoul said turning back to him.

"We need to get something straight before we enter the Labyrinth," the Phantom said looking the Comte in the eyes.

"What…What would that be?" Raoul asked wanting to back up more than anything in the world at the moment.

"I am in charge, you will do exactly as I say," Erik growled holding the human's eyes with his blazing amber orbs.

"But…" the man objected.

"I have more knowledge of this realm than you have of your own estate," the Phantom sneered. "You will listen to me or you will die and your child will become one of Jareth's goblins."

"What will you do?" Raoul asked.

"Go home to my wife, of course," he replied. "You die and I'll cede the challenge to Jareth."

"But won't he turn you?" Raoul asked.

"I'm already part goblin or don't you remember?" he asked getting right in the man's face.

Raoul backed up, this was not the man he remembered from the opera or even the one he fought in the church. The Phantom had changed; he seemed more powerful than ever now.

"Now let's go," Erik snarled and with a swish of his cloak he set off down the hill toward the Labyrinth.

* * *

"Hey Fairies," Raoul grinned as they walked along the outer wall of the Labyrinth.

"Leave them be," Erik said examining the walls and looking for a way in.

"How are we supposed to get in?" the Comte asked as he took a closer look at the fairy. "I don't see any doors."

"Shut up, I'm figuring that out now," the Phantom snapped.

"Ouch, it bit me," Raoul cried out before sticking the wounded appendage in his mouth.

"Of course she bit you, these are wild fairies. Come here little one, I won't hurt you," he coaxed producing a sugar cube from his coat.

The small fairy flew closer to him, eyeing the sugar he held between his thumb and forefinger. She circled his hand several times before landing and taking a bite of the treat. "How do you do that?" Raoul asked mystified by what the Phantom was doing.

"Stay back," the Phantom ordered as the creature perched on his hand became more comfortable. "That's it little one, eat up."

Erik continued to watch the exquisite little fairy consume the sugar. All too soon she was licking the last of the sweetness from his gloved fingers and languidly lying in his palm, a contented look upon her tiny face. "Now, my tiny one, perhaps you can show me the door to the Labyrinth," he whispered to the creature in Elven.

The fairy flew out of his hand and beckoned him to follow her. They rounded a corner and there was the grand entrance to the Labyrinth. The great doors opened magically as they approached.

"Maybe I should stay here and make sure those doors don't close," Raoul suggested, taken aback by the sight before him.

"Sorry, you don't get out of this that easy Comte," the Phantom said. "You are coming with me or you're staying in this realm where all your titles, lands and money mean nothing."

"Fine," the noble said and reluctantly followed the half-fae into the Labyrinth.

They had barely gone 6 paces when the enormous doors closed again of their own accord. "Great, we're trapped," Raoul huffed and kicked a rock.

"Seems the only way out now is to solve the Labyrinth," Erik said taking stock of the stone walls around him.

"So which way do we go?" Raoul asked looking left and then right in the only two directions that were currently available to them.

"Left," Erik said and started off at a brisk walk. "Try to keep up."

"Doesn't your little friend know?" Raoul sneered.

"Of course she doesn't, she lives outside the Labyrinth," Erik replied, keeping an eye on the castle, his goal.

* * *

"Some maze, there's no turns or openings or anything," Raoul complained. "Can we stop a moment? I've got something in my shoe."

"Fine," Erik said stopping and leaning against the outer wall as the Comte sat down and pulled his shoe off.

"How did that get in there?" Raoul asked as a sizable rock came tumbling out of his shoe.

"Magic," the Phantom shrugged.

"Very funny," the human said pulling his shoe back on.

"Very true, we are in a magical realm and the rules as you know them do not apply here," Erik replied.

"So what rules do apply here?" Raoul asked.

"Jareth is king here, you should have asked him," Erik said. "Now let's get going again."

"I still don't get it, where are the openings?" Raoul said looking at the walls again. "We've been going in a straight line for over an hour."

"Hour and a half," the Phantom corrected looking at his pocket watch.

"We'll never get there in time this way."

"Like I said this is a magical realm, it may just be an illusion that we've been walking in a straight line."

"It's not fair!" Raoul shouted and slammed his fist against the wall of the Labyrinth. However his fist hit only air and he fell through an opening that gave the illusion that it was a solid wall.

"Good work monsieur," the Phantom grinned following him through. "You found an opening."

"Ouch," Raoul complained getting back to his feet. "So now what?"

"This way," Erik said going left again.

* * *

"This is ridiculous," Raoul complained. "It feels like we are getting nowhere fast."

"Then I would love to hear your brilliant suggestion," Erik said stopping and turning to face the human.

"I don't know why your 'brilliant mind' didn't come up with it," Raoul said.

"I'm waiting," the Phantom frowned.

"Simple, we climb up on top of the wall so we can see the way through and get through much quicker than on the ground," Raoul grinned.

"I already thought of that," Erik said turning back to the way he was headed.

"So why aren't we doing that?"

"Because it's cheating."

"So?"

"So Jareth and the Labyrinth will have a way to counteract it and it probably won't be pleasant."

"I still think we should try."

"You're going to whine until you give this brilliant idea a go aren't you?"

"I don't whine."

"You've whined constantly since we arrived here," Erik said. "So go ahead, climb up on that wall and see what happens."

"Fine," Raoul said and walked a few paces back from the wall so he could get a running start. He ran and leapt up, his fingers just grabbing the top of the Labyrinth's wall. His feet scraped against the stone as he tried to get to the top. "You could help," Raoul said through gritted teeth.

"I could," Erik said casually leaning against the wall. "But I won't."

As Erik waited for Raoul to give up his struggle to gain the top of the wall, the ground beneath him suddenly opened up and he found himself plummeting down a dark shaft. Raoul turned and saw that the Phantom had disappeared when the top of the wall began sprouting sharp spikes, two of which cut his hands and forced him to let go. As he slid down, the same pit that had taken the Phantom widened and took the Comte as well.

Erik fell for what seemed like was minutes, but was in reality only seconds, landed with an audible "oof" in a cloud of dust. Moments later DeChangy fell on top of him with a shriek of surprise. "Get off," Erik growled, pushing at the gasping man.

"Where…where are we?" Raoul asked unable to see anything in the darkness of the pit they were in.

"A damned hole thanks to you," the Phantom snarled getting to his feet. "Now sit there and don't touch anything while I have a look around.

"A look around? It's as black as pitch," Raoul complained as he sat up.

"I can see just fine," he replied. "I'd say we're in an oubliette."

"What's that?"

"A place where you put people to forget about them."

"But won't they die?"

"That's the idea," Erik said striking a match he had in his jacket and lighting a candle.

"That's awful," Raoul said with a shudder, glad of the meager circle of light the candle created.

"The aristocracy invented it," he simply explained.

"You're sparkling," Raoul said pointing to the Phantom. "Why are you sparkling?"

"La vache," Erik swore and started dusting himself off.

"I don't think that's helping," Raoul observed as a cloud of glitter started to surround the Opera Ghost.

"Abn aleahira," the Phantom cursed as the problem became worse.

"Hey what's that in the corner?" Raoul asked pointing and hoping to distract the Phantom from his predicament.

"Where?" Erik demanded.

"Over there, I can't quite make it out," Raoul said still pointing.

"Oh that's just what's left of the last person to fall in here," Erik shrugged.

"So we're trapped," Raoul said with a shudder.

"Not necessarily," Erik said walking the perimeter of the room they were in.

"Then how do we get out?"

"You're not supposed to get out, but this is not the human realm, this is the Underground," he said looking around the rest of the small space.

"What do we do now?" the young Comte asked, panic starting to enter his voice.

"We find a door," Erik said going over to an apparent pile of rubbish and digging through it. "Ah, this should do."

"What are you doing?" Raoul asked as he watched the Phantom pull something vaguely resembling a door from the pile of rubbish.

"Finding a door," he said propping the rough assembly of boards against a wall. "Let's hope this works."

Raoul watched the Phantom grab what passed for a knob and pull the door open. He sniggered when a pile of cleaning equipment fell out of the open door. The Phantom muttered something nasty in a foreign tongue and shoved the door closed again. He pulled the door off the wall and flipped it end for end before putting it against the wall again. Then he grabbed the knob once more and opened the door. A gout of flame burst into the room and he slammed the door shut.

"Sorry, this could take a while," Erik said pulling the door off the wall and putting on a different spot on the wall. This time there was blackness pierced by many tiny yellow eyes and the gnashing of tiny teeth. After quickly closing the door, it was flipped end for end again. "Rats, hundreds of them," Erik replied to the Comte's questioning look.

"Yeow!" Raoul exclaimed as an arrow narrowly missed him. "Not that one!"

"That didn't help either," Erik said after the last try let several large boulders roll into the room with them.

"We're never getting out of here," Raoul groaned sitting on one of the boulders.

The Phantom just frowned and moved the improvised door to another location. Completely ignoring the nobleman now, he concentrated on the door revealing an exit to the oubliette. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door to reveal a stone corridor. "Found it," he brusquely announced.

"What just happened?" Raoul asked as the Phantom walked out the door.

"Come on, we're in a passage under the Labyrinth," Erik said not looking to see if the man followed him or not.

* * *

Author's End Note: The challenges are just beginning, this was the easy part. As a warning to everyone, this is not, I repeat not, the Labyrinth that Sarah runs. The oubliette is the last similarity you will see for a long time; this Labyrinth is more dangerous and darker for the Phantom. Will he outwit the Goblin King? Your guess is as good as mine at this point.

Coming up in Chapter 3 – Piece of Cake…or Not


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